DeepSeek AI tricked into Mona Lisa theft plot

DeepSeek has been making waves since its launch due to its lower computational demands compared to leading Large Language Models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT. The Chinese AI relies on Chain of Thought (CoT) reasoning, which enhances problem-solving through a step-by-step logical process rather than providing direct answers. But according to the study, carried out by the Bristol Cyber Security Group, CoT models can be tricked into providing harmful information that traditional LLMs might not explicitly reveal.

“The transparency of CoT models such as DeepSeek’s reasoning process that imitates human thinking makes them very suitable for wide public use,” said study co-author Dr Sana Belguith, from Bristol’s School of Computer Science.

“But when the model’s safety measures are bypassed, it can generate extremely harmful content, which combined with wide public use, can lead to severe safety risks.”